UPDATED 8.40am A train with 250 people on board has ploughed into a historic transport station in New Jersey.

LISTEN ABOVE: US correspondent Jennifer Strong spoke to Rachel Smalley

One person, who was waiting on the station platform, is confirmed dead. 108 have been confirmed injured.

Images show severe damage to the terminal in Hoboken, which is one of the busiest in the New York metropolitan area.

Local media say the driver of the train was seen slumped at the wheel before it collided with Hoboken Station.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has confirmed the train came in at a very high rate of speed, but they are well prepared to deal with the emergency and take care of those injured.

Leon Offengenden escaped and says the lead train car was left off the rails, with the station roof on top of it and wires everywhere.

Correspondent Jennifer Strong told Rachel Smalley around 100,000 people use the terminal every day - and the impact was so loud, people thought it was a bomb.

She said officials have confirmed it was not, but it was very, very loud and brought down a large part of the roof.

Governor Christie said state services know how to deal with a crisis: New Jersey's been through Hurricane Irene, Hurricane Sandy, and a number of terror attacks.

Strong describes the community as being on edge after a dumpster bomb rocked Chelsea, just across the Hudson River injuring 29 only weeks ago. 

Structural engineers and National Transportation Safety Officials on the scene already trying to find out what happened.

#Hoboken #traincrash train hit the station pic.twitter.com/5xteTKLavU

— Leon O (@monduras) September 29, 2016